I started making this recipe because it appeals to the Lazy Girl in me by honoring the creed of skipping any unnecessary or tedious step – in this case cooking the lasagna noodles.

Try adding extra mozzarella and/or parmesan, or throwing spinach or zucchini into the sauce, or even layering some olives or roasted red peppers when assembling the lasagne for a bit of a gourmet touch.

Hearty Veggie Lasagna

1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. button mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 c. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce
14 oz. canned whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
8 oz. canned tomato sauce
6 oz. canned tomato paste
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp. oregano, dried
1 tsp. basil, dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Filling
16 oz. cottage cheese
2 T. parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 egg white
2 T. fresh parsley
1 tsp. basil, dried

Pasta
8 uncooked lasagna noodles
1-1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded (6 ozs.)
2 T. parmesan cheese

1 Put olive oil in a skillet, add sliced mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until mushrooms are tender and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2 Add sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf and set sauce aside.
3 Combine filling ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
4 Place 1-1/3 cups sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 1-inch (or a 10 x 10-inch) pan. Top with 4 uncooked noodles. Spread half the filling over it, and top with 3/4 c. shredded mozzarella.
5 Repeat layer. Top with remaining sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake in a 350° oven for one hour.
6 Remove from oven, top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

(There’s a printable version of this recipe here.)

Servings: 8

Recipe Source
Source: Adapted from Gold ‘n Delicious, Recipes Hand-picked from the Great Northwest